Key Note Gaming

Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has released update 1.04.00, which makes significant improvements to the game. Chief among them is the addition of difficulty settings, new storage improvements, new pets, keyboard/mouse and controller preset options, new category tabs for the inventory, new skills, improvements to distant scenery quality, and a lot more. It’s worth digging into the details here. Hard difficulty makes it so foot item effects won’t be applied immediately, and will only take effect after the consumption animation is complete. This will make it impossible to recover health by spamming food. Instead, you're going to have to carve out the space and time to do so. In hard difficulty you also take more damage, and the maximum health, aggressiveness, and overall speed of opponents is increased. You also get a reduced timing window for parry and dodge, reduced invincibility duration for roll, and increased frequency of bosses attempting to counterattack or escape whe...

The Australian Government’s eSafety office has formally asked Roblox, Microsoft, Epic, and Valve to specifically outline how their systems are preventing child grooming and the spread of extremism. The eSafety office is an independent agency that was initially established in 2015 to combat youth cyberbullying and the online distribution of child sexual abuse material, but its role has since expanded to cover protections for all Australians from a spectrum of online risks. As per eSafety’s announcement , legally enforceable transparency notices have been issued to the aforementioned companies in the wake of its continuing concerns about platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam itself “being used by sexual predators to groom children and by extremist groups to spread violent propaganda and radicalise young people.” “What we often see after these offenders make contact with children in online game environments, they then move children to private messaging services,” said ...

I am a child of the '90s, and thus got hit with the trifecta of Pokémon when I was still a kid. The original Game Boy games, the trading card game, and the original anime series all came out within the span of few years, and I loved every bit of it. Playing Pokémon on the Game Boy was my first true gaming experience, and the fact that everyone at school also happened to be playing or trading at the same time as me only solidified the franchise's place in my heart forever. Fast forward to Pokémon's 30th anniversary celebrations, and it would seem many other millennials are luxuriously situated in the same nostalgia loop that I am. So if you have a love for the Game Boy era of Pokémon and a stack of trading cards sitting around waiting to be organized, the folks at IGN Finds have located the perfect item for you. Retro Game Boy-Style Deck Boxes on Sale Today Nintendo re-released Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green for the Switch 2 earlier this year, and I've been ab...

Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has revealed what we can expect from the next premium Warbond, Exo Experts. Helping you "stride with unwavering intent across hostile territory in a march of mech-enhanced Managed Democracy" and "demonstrate elite performance one prosperous hydraulic step at a time," the Exo Experts Warbond drops on April 28. "Machines… Our enemies… But they can also be forces for good, tools at our disposal, and when you need to fight fire with fire it is important to be an Exo Expert," the team teases on the official PlayStation blog . "The Ministry of Defense has authorised the immediate mobilisation of new Exosuits to aid in our ongoing war efforts against the enemies of Managed Democracy." As for what we get? First up is the EXO-51 Lumberer, "a modern reinvention of the Lumberers of the first Galactic War." Equipped with an anti-tank cannon and a flamethrower, you'll be able to unleash "maximum devas...

A Pokémon pro who saw his tournament win taken away from him in controversial circumstances will not be getting an official reprieve. That's according to a new, official ruling handed down by Play! Pokémon, the team within The Pokémon Company that handles competitive events, which doubles down on the decision to punish Pokémon Go player Firestar73, and levies fresh accusations that he was "shaking the table during gameplay" causing "a disruption to the broadcast experience." Earlier this month, both Firestar73 and his opponent spoke out after the player's grand final victory at the Pokémon Orlando Regionals was taken away , seemingly due to his match win celebration where he stood up, did a fist pump, then shook hands with the other player. So here's a live look with a close up of the headphones making contact on the desk. This had to be a decision that came from the higher ups as an attempt to be "consistent" with their ruling based on ...

2026 marked the 30th anniversary of Pokémon , and if you’ve been following the Trading Card Game scene lately, you know things are getting busy. We just finished the chaos of the first wave of First Partner collection , and the Pokémon Company is already moving on to the next set. If you missed out on Series 1 back in March, don't worry too much. Series 2 is on the way, and it shifts the spotlight to some of the best starters in the franchise . These First Partner collections aren't a full expansion set; it’s a nod to that first big decision you made on your journey - your First Partner Pokémon! These collections are small, curated series meant for display or specific pulls. Series 2 takes us back to Johto, Unova, and Galar region, with some familiar faces making an appearance. The star of the collection is the special promo pack that celebrates the bond between Trainer and Pokémon. This single pack contains 3 of 9 illustration rare-style promo cards consisting of stu...

Crusader Kings 3 is getting a new core expansion, By God Alone, and it's going to add playable popes to the Paradox strategy game alongside other new gameplay mechanics to let players influence the church. "For the first time in the Crusader Kings franchise, we're also introducing playable theocracies, allowing you to rise to the power of the Pope himself," said Mikael Andersson, lead designer on the expansion. "By God Alone extends your options of how to engage with your Christian faith and the church behind it. It gives you more strategic options for how to deal with this institution, as well as dealing with other rulers of the same faith as you." By God Alone will arrive in Q3 of this year as a paid expansion, so you've plenty of time to figure out how to wield the word of god to your strategic advantage. "In this core expansion, we're fleshing out the Christian church to make the institution itself feel like a living entity," Ander...

We now have our hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 , a new console from one of the biggest names in gaming. Alas, a new console is only as valuable as the library of games you can build on it. Thankfully, Nintendo hasn't been shy about planned releases over the next year, which include a mix of Switch 2 exclusives, third-party releases, and the benefit of backward compatibility with any games still launching on the original Switch. Without further ado, here are all of the new Switch 2 games we can look forward to in 2026. All Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Release Dates * indicates a Switch 2 exclusive Outbound (April 23, 2026) Outbound is a new cozy game that will be released simultaneously on Switch 2 and PC. The game hands you a camper van and an open world to explore with it, all while supporting up to four players in co-op. There’s also pets, and a whole lot of customization you can learn more about in our hands-on preview . Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth (April 27, 2026) ...

Pragmata has sold 1 million copies in two days, Capcom has announced. In its sales announcement , the Japanese game company highlighted Pragmata’s status as a new intellectual property. “A completely new IP, Pragmata was developed primarily by a team of younger Capcom developers, who created an innovative gameplay experience by fusing action gameplay with puzzle elements set within a distinctive world ruled over by artificial intelligence,” Capcom said. “In the absence of an established fan base or preexisting brand recognition, Capcom implemented a range of marketing initiatives — beginning with the early release of a playable demo — to communicate the unique features of the game to a wider audience. In addition, in line with the company’s multiplatform strategy, Capcom broadened the title’s availability by adding support for Nintendo Switch 2 at an early stage. As a result, these initiatives generated significant momentum, enabling Pragmata to achieve worldwide sales of over 1 ...

Battlefield 6 players think they’ve discovered that one of the three maps coming in Season 5 is set in Las Vegas after Battlefield Studios posted an enigmatic teaser last week. The team at EA outlined its plans to keep players coming back throughout 2026 last week after it pulled back the curtain to reveal a host of changes aimed at directly addressing fan feedback . While much larger multiplayer maps and a server browser are just the tip of the iceberg of what was officially revealed, some players have already set their sights on a single image that teased one of the maps launching toward the end of the year. "Today, I can also confirm that, as a holiday surprise, we’ll be dropping a third map into Season 5," Motive Studio executive producer Philippe Ducharme said in a video for the April 16 reveal while showing the first-look. "You’ll have to wait to learn about them, but I will say that the roadmap does offer a hint of where you’ll be fighting." The image...

Bandai Namco has announced Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. The announcement arrived alongside the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 event in Los Angeles today and comes with a first official trailer for the anime action-RPG follow-up. It’s news that came as a shock to fans and arrived as official confirmation that a follow-up is finally on the way after Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 launched in 2016, almost 10 years ago. Doubling the surprise is the fact that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 was technically already revealed by Bandai Namco earlier this year as what was previously called Age 1000 . That title now serves as the name of the new world in which the game is set, with the trailer showing off some of what it has to offer. "As revealed in the announcement trailer for DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 3, players will get to explore and uncover exciting new stories in West City, the vibrant new world set in AGE 1000," an official description...

A new weekend has arrived, and today, you can save big on Apple AirTags, 4K Movies, AirPods Pro 3, Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, the limited edition Marathon DualSense, and more. Check out our top picks for Sunday, April 19, below. 3 4K Movies for $33 By far, my favorite deal this weekend is the Amazon 3 for $33 sale , where you can score 3 4K films for $33. This is one of the best deals on 4K movies in 2026 so far, especially considering each film ends up at $11 a piece. There are some excellent options available, including Jurassic Park, Tenet, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, and more. Refurbished Sony 4K OLED BRAVIA 8 TV for $1049.99 Woot has a great deal on this Sony 4K OLED BRAVIA 8 TV, with refurbished units available for $1049.99. Sony's Bravia line is well respected and usually more expensive, making this TV well worth a look if you're in the market for a new one. If you're aiming for the best picture quality and rich colors, you cannot do better ...

Cooperative pirate survival game Windrose has reached 1 million copies sold less than a week after its Early Access launch for PC. Pocketpair Publishing and Kraken Express announced the sales milestone with an update post on Steam today . It’s an announcement that saw it sail past the marker six days after launching for PC via the Valve platform and Epic Games Store April 14. Reaching 1 million copies is a feat worth celebrating for Kraken as it charts a course through Early Access development, especially as its concurrent player count on Steam alone continues to climb. It’s managed to climb to 200,000 active pirates on Steam alone, with SteambDB recording a peak of 211,177 at the time of this piece’s publication. Thank you! The boar sends its two-tusked regards. Jokes aside, your support has been incredible, and your patience while we work on fixes means the world to us. Moreover, Windrose surpassed 200,000 concurrent players on Steam! Thank you kindly, on behalf of our ...

Magic: The Gathering’s Secrets of Strixhaven set is fast approaching (with prerelease this weekend), and for the first time since Tarkir: Dragonstorm , we’re getting five Commander precons with it. One of the more intriguing options of the bunch is Silverquill Influence, a white/black deck that blends artifacts and auras with a Goad theme – and there’s one Final Fantasy card that slots in beautifully. This Final Fantasy Card Is Spiking In Price Eye of Nidhogg is a Legendary Enchantment — Aura that costs one Black mana and two generic. It reads “Enchant creature. Enchanted creature is a black Dragon with base power and toughness 4/2, has flying and deathtouch, and is goaded.” If you’ve not come up against a Goad-focused deck before, the idea is that it pushes players to attack each other instead of the one goading them. This enchantment also triggers Killian, Decisive Mentor, the Silverquill Influence deck’s Commander, because as Eye of Nidhogg enters, Killian can goad some...

Slay the Spire 2 developer Mega Crit has published a detailed roadmap for Slay the Spire 2 without promising any release dates because it doesn’t want to make "Sloppy Spire 2." Studio co-founder Casey Yano outlined a host of new Early Access updates the team has planned for the popular deckbuilder roguelike in the latest installment of its The Neowsletter . The message comes with 17 bullet points featuring additions Mega Crit hopes to add on its path to a 1.0 launch, including everything from support for more languages and bug fixes to a new character and alternate versions of Acts 2 and 3. It’s an ambitious list with a candid catch: The studio doesn’t want to share a release date for anything yet. Players who returned to the Spire when Slay the Spire 2 launched into Early Access March 5 might be disappointed to see the lack of even the smallest release window, but Mega Crit wants fans to know it’s only keeping its cards close to its chest because revealing too much too ...